The present invention relates to an arrangement for the backlining or headbanding of the spine of a book block, moving past a backlining station while positioned on a conveying section of a book production line. The arrangement typically includes a device for feeding the backlining material in a direction perpendicular to the book production line from a storage area to the book production line. A unit including a cross cutter and a transfer mechanism is installed downstream of the feeding device and serves to cut the material web into backlining sections that are transferred to the book block spine, wherein a supporting table is also assigned to this unit for supporting the backlining sections cut from the material web.
The backlining material on a book block spine helps reinforce and stabilize the book block spine.
During the operation of affixing headbands, at least one headband is glued to the backlining material prior to the processing, which enhances the look of the top edge and the bottom edge of a cased-in book block.
German Patent Document 199 59 935 describes a method and an arrangement for the treatment with gas and the backlining of book blocks.
Production lines for producing hardcover books exist, that are provided with two successively arranged stations of the above-described type for affixing headbands, or which have one headbanding station that can be supplemented with an additional headbanding station to prevent frequent interruptions in the book production caused by the retrofitting of a headbanding station. As known, book-production lines having even two headbanding stations cannot be retrofitted or outfitted for a new production order of a different format size without interrupting the operation because the existing feeding device does not allow for this.